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Origin and history

Anderitum, founded under Augustus around 15 B.C., was the administrative and political capital of the Civitas des Gabales, a Gallic people mentioned by Julius Caesar as a client of the Arvernes. Its establishment was aimed at weakening the arrogant influence by creating a rival pole. The city, organized according to an orthogonal plan, reached its peak in the 2nd century with public monuments (forum, thermal baths, theatre-amphitheatre) and an estimated population of several thousand inhabitants. Its decline began at the end of the second century, marked by fires and a gradual reduction in its urban grip.

The city was a strategic road crossing, located on the track linking Lyon to Rodez and the Mediterranean. Its site, in a hill-framed valley, was constructed with granite quays to channel the flood-prone triboulin stream. The excavations, initiated in the 19th century after the discovery of a Milestone in 1828, revealed a monumental centre inscribed in the Historic Monuments in 1954 and 1991. Remnants include domus, thermal baths, and a partially restored old network.

Anderitum lost his status as capital in favour of Mende around 530-540, when the latter became episcopal seat. The ancient city was gradually abandoned, its materials reused as quarries, and its location covered by vegetation. Modern archaeological research, combining excavations and immersive technologies (virtual reality), has partially restored its organization. The Javols Museum and landscape developments today value this exceptional site, a witness to the romanization on average mountain.

Local handicrafts, focused on copper metallurgy, woodworking and ceramic production, reflected an economy geared to immediate needs. Imports of ceramics (especially from La Graufesenque) and exotic marbles (Egypt, Greece, Italy) attest to its integration into the Roman commercial networks. Domestic cults, illustrated by figurines of Venus or mother goddesses, coexisted with Gaulish religious practices, as evidenced by the statue of Sylvain-Sucellus, the protector of artisans.

The decline of Anderitum is explained by a combination of factors: political transfer to Mende, lack of fortifications in the Lower Empire, and possibly adverse climate change. Unlike other ephemeral capitals, it was never girdled with ramparts, a sign of an early and irreversible decline. The necropolises, located on the outskirts, reveal an evolution of funeral practices, from incineration (High Empire) to burial (Bas-Empire and High Middle Ages).

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